It is known that thiocarbamates constitute a wide class of industrial products used in different fields of "fine chemicals", particularly as herbicides and fungicides.
Among them mention can be made of Eptam, Pebulate, Cycloate, Butylate, Vernolate and Molinate manufactured by Stauffer, Drepamon by Montedison, Diallate and Triallate by Monsanto, Benthiocarb and Orbencarb by Kumiai, Methiobencarb by Bayer and Prothiocarb by Schering, all of which products have the following general formula: ##STR2## where, in each of said products, R, R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 have different meanings.
Due to the importance of this class of products, several processes for preparing them have been proposed.
Among them, the process known heretofore with widest industrial use involves the reaction between a mercaptide and a carbamoyl chloride, according to the scheme: ##STR3## where: R, R.sup.1, R.sup.2 have different meanings, X is a halogen and Y is an alkaline metal.
The main disadvantage of this process lies in the use of mercaptans R-SH, which, as is known, are toxic, ill-smelling and volatile compounds.